


The 'After' Protocol - KCAUWEEK2020 Day 6: Canon-ish

by klarolineagainnaturally



Category: The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:06:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23598832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klarolineagainnaturally/pseuds/klarolineagainnaturally
Summary: Klaroline AU Week 2020: Day 6: Canon-ishA take on the 5x11 aftermath
Relationships: Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 38





	The 'After' Protocol - KCAUWEEK2020 Day 6: Canon-ish

What was the after-sex protocol for a steamy round in the woods? It certainly wasn’t in any handbook — if it was, she would have liked to read it to know how to remove herself from this situation.

Caroline avoided making eye-contact and turned away to button up her cardigan, unaware of the knowing smirk coming from behind her. She draped her hair over her left shoulder, glancing back at Klaus for a thoughtful moment as he maintained his stare. They really  _ had  _ just laid everything out on the floor, literally, and spent the last hour or so having steamy sex. Now, she would have to go back to the others and act like nothing happened, but it was so hard to stop thinking about every moment they were entangled with one another.

Her mind was so caught up in the idea of Klaus’ ruthless personality that she found herself startled to learn he was capable of showing such tenderness. Every so often, he would mutter compliments like ‘you’re beautiful’ or press chaste kisses to her chest or touch her cheek like she was about to break. She had never felt so revered by a man in her life.

Klaus’ head tilted as he waited for her to speak. That was the worst part, that he waited for her to make every vital move. She was being tortured by her own indecisiveness and her own insecurities. Every day of her life, she was obsessed with control and here he was offering it up to her.

Caroline pushed her lips out, arms swinging as Klaus straightened his jacket. “So, do you just...whoosh out of here?”

“I suppose that was the deal, yes.”

She nodded, her gaze shifting slowly across the forest floor.

He took a half-step towards her, his voice calling out tenderly, “Caroline—”

“This means you’ll never come back,” she pleaded for clarification, eyes flickering in an attempt to suppress her wave of emotions.

“Yes.”

“You’ll leave Mystic Falls...and,” Caroline breathed out, “never come back?”

“Yes.”

“And,” she cleared her throat at the stutter in her breath.

“Caroline.” His arms outstretched to hold her at her sides. “I meant what I said.”

No more flirtatious glances or regretfully enticing conversations. It was for the best. She needed to remind herself once again of all the awful things he had done just to accept that fact.

“Okay.”

A small smile appeared on his face as he looked deeply into her eyes. He always had the frustrating ability to look straight through her, seeing every inch of her soul for what it was. She found herself lost in the exchange of apprehensive staring. They had more to say. _She_ had more to say. But what was there to say? How do you end something that had never really begun?

Under the dredge of emotions, she could swear she felt his thumb brush up and down her arm before he disappeared from her sight like a gust of wind.

Caroline went through all of this to have him leave for good like she wanted, like she thought she wanted. Yet now, she was feeling like the forest was cold from his absence, an absence she received in exchange for the truth.


End file.
